The role of emotions in marketing

Abstract

Emotions are mental states of readiness that arise from appraisals of events or one’s own thoughts. In this article, the authors discuss the differentiation of emotions from affect, moods, and attitudes, and outline an appraisal theory of emotions. Next, various measurement issues are considered. This is followed by an analysis of the role of arousal in emotions. Emotions as markers, mediators, and moderators of consumer responses are then analyzed. The authors turn next to the influence of emotions on cognitive processes, which is followed by a study of the implications of emotions for volitions, goal-directed behavior, and decisions to help. Emotions and customer satisfaction are briefly explored, too. The article closes with a number of questions for future research.

Keywords

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Richard P. Bagozzi is the Dwight F. Benton Professor of Behavioral Science in Management at the University of Michigan Business School. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and has been a faculty member at the University of California-Berkeley, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University. He is currently doing research in emotions, goal-directed behavior, and social identity theory.

Mahesh Gopinath is an assistant professor of marketing in the A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan Business School and is doing research in emotions and customer satisfaction.

Prashanth U. Nyer is an assistant professor of marketing in the School of Business and Economics at Chapman University. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan Business School and is doing research in emotions and customer satisfaction.

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